


Real, True, Unnecessary Things

by QuinFirefrorefiddle



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Peggy & Angie in 2014, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Temptation League, What Have I Done
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-25
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-04 10:01:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6653395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuinFirefrorefiddle/pseuds/QuinFirefrorefiddle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first real, true, unnecessary thing Peggy had ever told Angie about herself was that her soulmate had died in the war, his body never found. Women tended to open up to one another about things like that – they certainly couldn't discuss it with men, the taboo was too strong still, even in modern times. Of course, Angie hadn't learned the soulmate in question was Captain America until much later.</p><p>Which meant the brunet man would be – Angie turned to stare at him, in shock. “Oh, shit. You're James Barnes.” He gave her a quizzical look.</p><p>On second thought, that was not actually what she'd wanted her first words to him to be, after the separation of almost ten years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Rude Awakening

**Author's Note:**

> An AU where Peggy never appears in CA:TWS, and soulmarks are a thing. Set just after Angie and Peggy move into Stark's, and then not long after CA:TWS, assuming Bucky came back on his own. Not Ultron or Civil War compliant.

Angie was walking backwards, telling Peggy about her latest, ridiculously terrible, blind date, when she bumped into a side table in the front hall of the Stark house. Really, Howard Stark had so many piles of money he didn't know what to do with, he wasted it on completely pointless furniture. This particular table was always empty.

Except, apparently, for today. A metal sphere with bits sticking out of it started to roll off the edge. She and Peggy both reached to catch it, bumped heads, exclaimed rather loudly, then reached to catch it again at the same time, and –

nothing.  
*  
Angie woke up somewhere else, obviously, the quality of the light was different, clinical and ugly. She blinked twice before she realized there was a man standing over her – she was apparently lying down – and she startled badly and tried to sit up. The man put a hand on her shoulder and she batted it away hard as she realized he was trying to talk to her. “Ma'am, please, lie down, ma'am, we don't know if you have a head injury.”

“I should hope I'm not old enough to be a ma'am yet, thank you, it's miss. And will be for a good few years yet I imagine,” she snapped. This all felt deeply strange and uncomfortable. “English? Peg? You here?”

There was a groan to her left, and she turned her head. Peggy was lying in a hospital bed – belatedly, Angie realized she was as well – and had a hand to her forehead, just where they had bumped heads earlier. She seemed to be swearing quietly to herself, Angie couldn't blame her. Otherwise she looked fine, still dressed as she had been, and Angie did a quick mental inventory of what she could feel and see of her own. She didn't think anyone had messed with her short sleeved dress and cardigan, but she gave the man who was still trying to touch her left shoulder, the look her grandmother said could boil water anyway.

“Didn't your mother ever teach you not to touch a lady's soulmark, fella? Get your hands off me.” He startled at that and dropped his hands to fold them behind his back. He was wearing glasses, and his tousled salt-and-pepper hair gave him a distracted air.

“Miss, you and your friend appeared half an hour ago in the building's lobby, and when I say appeared, I mean out of thin air. I'm just trying to see if you're all right and ascertain who you are. I am Dr. Banner. Between the retro look and the accent, I'm guessing you're from Brooklyn?”

 _Retro? What?_ “Haven't lived in Brooklyn for a few years now, usually I'm better at smoothing away the accent.” And as she spoke, she could hear it dial down again, now that she was getting her bearings. “You say we appeared in the lobby? Where are we?”

“Stark Tower.” Dr. Banner thought for a moment, and added, “Manhattan.”

Angie blinked at him. _Stark Tower? What Tower?_

At this point Peggy sat up, and this so distracted Dr. Banner Angie was able to as well. Peggy finally left off the cursing and joined in the conversation. “What do you mean Stark Tower, Dr. Banner? We were just at Howard Stark's home, but he doesn't have a tower.”

Dr. Banner clearly mouthed to himself, _Howard_? Then he blinked once, before saying, “That's a British accent. Those outfits. Your friend called you Peg. I'm sorry, miss, could you tell me your full name please?”

“Agent Margaret Carter of the SSR. Peggy to my friends. You may call me Agent Carter.” And yes, Peggy had her back up now.

Dr. Banner's mouth hung open slightly for a few moments. “Well, Agent Carter, I have good news for you, a friend of yours is here and should be able to explain things to you with the help of a friend of mine. Let me call them and they'll be here in a few moments.” Peggy nodded and Dr. Banner opened his mouth to speak again, before thinking better of it and turning to a phone on the wall, speaking into it very quietly.

It was clearly a telephone, but it didn't look much like one that Angie had ever seen. And now that she took a moment to look around, this was a very strange room indeed. The lighting was cold and terrible, there were instruments and devices all around she didn't recognize, not even the materials they were made from.

“ _What on earth_?” Angie mouthed silently to Peggy as Dr. Banner was still turned away. Peggy shrugged, but was clearly at swim as much as Angie was.

Dr. Banner kept speaking into the telephone for what seemed like quite a long time, but was probably only a couple minutes. He stopped when a very tall, spectacularly good-looking blond man burst into the room at full speed, followed immediately by a slightly shorter man with long brown hair, hand in pocket.

Peggy stared at the blond and Angie was momentarily distracted by that, because she'd never seen her caught that flat footed before. It would have been funny, at least until Peggy shouted, “Steve!” and jumped into the blond man's arms.

And Angie realized, this was Captain America. Peggy's soulmate. 

The first real, true, unnecessary thing Peggy had ever told Angie about herself was that her soulmate had died in the war, his body never found. Women tended to open up to one another about things like that – they certainly couldn't discuss it with men, the taboo was too strong still, even in modern times. Of course, Angie hadn't learned the soulmate in question was Captain America until much later.

Which meant the brunet man would be – Angie turned to stare at him, in shock. “Oh, _shit_. You're James Barnes.” He gave her a quizzical look.

On second thought, that was not actually what she'd wanted her first words to him to be, after their separation of almost ten years.  
*  
A lovely woman with the improbable name of Pepper Potts, and a Tony Stark who claimed to be Howard's son – and to look at him, Angie believed it was possible – arrived somewhere in the middle of Steve and Dr. Banner's – Bruce's – joint attempted explanation of when they were, frequently interrupted by Peggy's attempted explanation of what had happened to her and Angie.

 _When_. Not so much where, but when. _2014_. Angie started to wonder where she could find a drink in this place. Finally she spoke up. “But how did we get here? What caused it? Was it that metal thing?” She looked at Peggy, but it was Tony who spoke.

“Well, that sounds like my Pop. I know he spent some time just after the war looking into soulmarks and soulmates. He didn't talk about it much because he never had a soulmark himself, but he was fascinated by them. I know he mentioned once he'd tried to work out a device that could reunite separated soulmates, but that there was an accident that, um, killed two friends of his, and he destroyed it and all his notes.” Tony looked guilty. “He was usually careful enough not to leave things like that on hall tables.”

There's a couple beats of silence, until Bruce asked, “All right, that explains Peggy, she's reunited with Steve, but why did it bring, um, Angie, with her? Was it because she touched the device too?”

Angie swallowed. She'd really hoped not to have an audience for this. First time in her life, probably. “I'm afraid I can explain that.” All eyes turned to her. “My full name is Angela Martinelli, and my soulmate is James Barnes.”

This time, only one beat of silence, before Steve shouted, “ _What_!?” and general pandemonium followed. It took Pepper a good four minutes to restore order and ask Angie to tell the story.  
*  
_Angie Martinelli was in a strange mood as her Latin class began on the first day of 9th grade. For one thing, Father O'Donnell was notoriously irritable. For another, she was not exactly delighted to be sitting behind Angela Marcus in yet another class. The process of one or the other of them being called on always turned into a farce, and Angela's resemblance to a very young Veronica Lake had gotten her the role of Lady Macbeth in the school play the year before, despite her complete lack of acting talent or skill. But thanks to the alphabet, they kept getting thrown together, despite the fact that they were on opposite ends of the popularity spectrum. Angela's family had plenty of money and respectability, Angie's had little to none of either. But Angie appreciated the chance to keep an eye on Angela anyway, it wasn't that often two people had absolutely identical soulmarks. It had to mean something._

_Looking around the room so she wouldn't have to make conversation with Angela, Angie rubbed her left shoulder gently. Her grandfather had always said she was one of the lucky ones – her soulmark meant she had a pretty good idea of when she would meet her soulmate. “salve mihi nomen iacobi est” was fairly obvious, and if she didn't meet him today she had three more chances until she finished high school. Jacob Vecchi had been in her class last year, and he'd said the same phrase, but the full-body tingle that was the tell-tale sign of meeting your soulmate had been missing. Maybe this year she'd have another chance – Jacobus was also the Latin version of James. Angie listened carefully as Father O'Donnell took attendance._

_There were two James' in the class – and Jacob Vecchi, but she wasn't paying attention to him. James Barnes and James Beattie sat one in front of the other on the other side of the room, Angie hadn't met either of them before. They must have gone to St. Francis, while she and Angela had been at St. Gregory's. She couldn't see Barnes' face from where she sat, but she liked the line of his shoulders, and he looked fairly tall. Beattie shared a smile with the boy sitting on his right, and it was a nice smile, very friendly and kind, but he wasn't particularly good looking and was rather shabbily dressed – though likely he'd grow out of being spotty._

_Father O'Donnell – she should start thinking of him as Dominus O'Donnell now before she misspoke – stood them all up and got the usual introduction line going. They stood in alphabetical order, and Gabrielle Abate turned and introduced herself to Francis Abruzzino, and the line folded in on itself so everyone could meet. It was standard for the first day of school, and got some soulmarks out of the way._

_Eventually James Barnes reached Angela Marcus, and Angie kept a very close watch on them out of the corner of her eye – she knew full well that Angela had been doing exactly the same soulmark-math in her head that Angie had._

_James Barnes was – well, he was certainly very good looking. Perfectly dressed, if not expensively so. Tall, with a movie-star smile and blue eyes that would burn through the cellulose of a filmstrip. One lock of his hair just threatened to fall into his eyes, and she had a feeling it was always just threatening and never fell. She had the impulse to push it back out of his face anyway, he had such magnetism._

_She saw Angela introduce herself, and glance to the left at James Beattie, and James Barnes was clearly taken in by her beauty. And Angie saw Angela make the decision. And damn, there was nothing she could do about it._

_“Oh my goodness, you're my soulmate!” Angela exclaimed to James Barnes, looking up at him through her lashes. And that was it, he'd be feeling the tingle Angela wanted him to, looking into her eyes, no matter the reason. Dominus O'Donnell called out for the line to move on, soulmates could chat later, and Angie got a nasty feeling in her stomach just before James Barnes took a step towards her._

_He introduced himself, barely glancing at Angie, staring back at Angela instead. And while both he and Angie felt that tell-tale tingle as Angie repeated her half of the introductions, he must have chalked it up to a continuation from his meeting Angela. Angie watched as James Beattie met Angela for the first time, saw his eyes go wide at the tingle – but Angela's didn't, she knew perfectly well what was going on. If either James Beattie or Angie said anything, she and Barnes, both obviously the same kind of popular, would simply claim they must be imagining it, and they'd get laughed at for the rest of their years in school. Confused, James Beattie looked around, his eyes caught Angie's, and he came to the same realization Angie had._

_Angie and James Beattie both looked at the ground as they met. There was no tell-tale tingle for them. Angela Marcus, in a moment of selfishness, ruined the chances of two sets of soulmates._

_Two weeks later Angela Marcus's father got a job in Albany and they moved away, with no forwarding address. But it was too late, the damage was done. Angie Martinelli avoided James Barnes as much as she could for the rest of high school._  
*  
As Angie finished her story, Bucky tilted his head a bit, trying to remember. The others in the room remained silent for a few beats. It fell to Steve to ask the obvious question.

“But Angie, why didn't you ever tell Bucky? Not right away, all right, I understand that, but – ever?”

Angie swallowed. “It was the spring of that year that my father joined the Temptation League.” Steve, Peggy, and Bucky all pulled faces, and Pepper and Bruce nodded.

Tony was still lost. “What the hell is a Temptation League?”

“It was a group founded in the late twenties that claimed soulmates were sent to tempt people to evil. The group had religious origins to start with but left them behind quickly,” Pepper explained. “Eventually they became a hate group, and public backlash was rather harsh. They disbanded a few years after World War II ended.”

Now Tony just looked irritated. “Who the hell would think that?” He saw Steve glare at him, and added, “Language, yes, sorry.”

Angie spoke quietly. “My parents were soulmates, and blissfully happy by all accounts. I was their first child – and my mother died giving birth to me. My father's grief, it twisted him over the years. Eventually he came to see her death as a punishment for having given in to the temptation of his soulmate.” 

She looked up at James. “If he'd known, he never would have allowed me to speak to you again. He never actually asked me if I'd found my soulmate – I was going to wait until I could move out, after graduation, and then try to find you and tell you. But it took me too long to save up to move out, and by the time I could, the war had started, and I'd heard you enlisted and were gone. And then,” Angie swallowed again and looked down, “I heard you had died. And my soulmark faded. And that was that.”

Finally, James spoke up for the first time, haltingly. “May I? See?”

Angie nodded, and Pepper and Steve tugged Bruce and Tony away. In 2014, the idea of men seeing the soulmarks of women other than their own soulmates, without specific invitation or a medical reason, was acceptable enough, but in 1946, the rules Angie would still be working by, it was an incredible invasion of privacy. Angie turned so her left shoulder was facing away from the knot of people near the room's door, and James came around to her other side as she shrugged off one shoulder of her cardigan, and lifted the short sleeve of her dress.

It was only thanks to years of acting practice that she didn't blush as James Barnes, still a very handsome man even with the frankly bizarre hair, bent to look at her soulmark. He reached up to touch it with his right hand, left still in his pocket, but stopped himself at the last moment.

“That's my writing.” He stopped, and stood up again, looking first to Steve and then back to Angie, and into her eyes, possibly for the first time in their lives. “You're my soulmate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Bruce did take Peggy and Angie for hipsters at first- thus the retro and Brooklyn comment. And yes, he was about to talk to JARVIS before realizing that was rather more of a conversation he wanted to have on his own with them, so he used the phone instead.


	2. In Search of Rest

Hours later, in answer to Peggy's laughter, Angie would say she defied Princess Elizabeth herself not to blush with a man as handsome as James Barnes looking her in the eyes and saying, “You're my soulmate.” (And she stood on good ground there, the story of Princess Elizabeth blushing like the schoolgirl she'd been at her and Phillip's first meeting was a classic for a reason.)

But in the moment, she was saved from unending embarrassment by Pepper inviting them all to continue the conversation in more comfortable surroundings. Angie and James wound up at the back of the crowd filing out of the examination room, and while James didn't presume enough on the possibility of their future relationship to touch her, she could feel him hovering, just behind her and to the left, as they walked down the hallway.

A few moments later, they were all in a comfortable conference room, with far less unidentifiable clutter. Angie didn't pause for more than a few moments at the sight out of the windows – she'd been to the Empire State Building, after all, and they couldn't be much higher than 86 floors up here – but the city she saw spread below her, both was and wasn't what she expected.

It was certainly New York, but it wasn't the one she'd been in a few hours ago. The sight left her breathless and a little disturbed.

James seemed to notice her discomfort and pulled out a chair for her, which she took with a grateful smile.

And if he sat on her left and laid his right hand on the table, quite near to hers but not quite touching, well, she wasn't going to complain. If he wasn't wearing a jacket over a – was that a hooded sweater? - she'd be able to get a much more productive idea of his figure. As it was he was currently a vague-looking mess with rather terrible hair.

And yet. Those eyes covered a lot of sins.

To her surprise, it was Pepper, and not Tony, who led the conversation. First, Peggy and Angie were asked to establish that they were who they said they were, (which, if they'd really appeared out of nothing in the building lobby, Angie supposed was reasonable enough). Peggy told Steve a few things only they would know, and Angie was able to describe their shared high school classes well enough that James could also vouch for her, though his memory seemed rather spotty.

“I'm glad that's settled,” Pepper continued, smiling sadly. “I suppose it does need to be said up front, now that we know when you came from – I am sorry, but I'm afraid we can't send you back. There have been a lot of technological advances, certainly, some of which are rather certain to surprise you, but we're not even certain how exactly you were brought here. If you'd like, Stark Industries could certainly look into it,” she continued, with a pointed look at Tony, “but we couldn't promise any success.”

Peggy and Steve were holding hands under the table, and Angie knew Peggy'd been distant with her family across the pond for some time, and was somewhat miserable at her job. The look on Peggy's face made it clear what she was thinking. So slowly those at the table came to look at Angie.

“I haven't spoken to my father in three years, and he's all the family I've got. I'm not saying there won't be people I miss, but,” Angie looked Steve and James over carefully, “this century seems to be treating you lot rather well. I'm willing to explore it, at least.”

“Then we won't make that a top priority just yet. There are also some things you'll need to know about what Steve and Bucky have gone through.” Pepper, with help from Steve and James, gave a general outline of what horrors the two men had been through – and in James' case, caused – to end up in this time, before Peggy and Angie's arrival. And horrors they were.

On second thought, James' memory seemed remarkably good, given what he'd gone through. An acquaintance from upstate, a Dr. Xavier, had apparently helped him with that, though she certainly wasn't going to ask how. She'd known a few shell-shocked soldiers from both wars, she wasn't going to ask how a psychiatrist broke through all that.

Finally, with a pointed look around the table, Pepper said that she supposed the day had been full of surprises already and it didn't require any more, but that there was one thing more they needed to know before they would be comfortable moving about the Tower.

“The Tower has an automated system, which helps with organization, scheduling, research, communications, and so forth. It responds to human voices and can answer questions and even hold a conversation. I'm sure it will be of great use to you as you learn more about recent events and modern culture. However I imagine one aspect of it will surprise you.” Pepper gave Tony a speaking look, and so, he spoke.

“I'm afraid I named the system after an old friend of mine – he really was pretty old – from childhood. Who you both knew, actually. It's full name is Just A Really Very Intelligent System. But, for short, we use the acronym – Jarvis.”

In the past 90 minutes, Angie had been: propelled 68 years into the future, woken in a strange infirmary with a doctor poking at her, met her soulmate for the second time after years of thinking he was dead, had her identity questioned, and discovered her soulmate had both suffered and caused atrocities against his will for the better part of the last 68 years.

Now the son of the man who had been putting Peggy & her up (apparently because he was more afraid of Peggy than he was of anyone else) had just said that not only was an incredibly advanced mechanical intelligence running everyone's lives in the Tower, but that he'd named it after an elderly man she remembered as young, who last night had made the best pot roast she'd ever had.

So she thought she could be forgiven if she put a hand over her eyes and asked if there was a place she could lie down for a little while.

*

Bruce had quietly wandered off almost immediately after that. Tony and Pepper held a brief, silent conversation made entirely of minute facial twitches, and then Tony left as well. Pepper led the four reunited soulmates to another floor, communicating briefly with Jarvis in the elevator – and the voice, while certainly not a perfect match, made both Peggy and Angie twitch in recognition – and unobtrusively disappeared after leaving them in a hallway of closed doors.

Steve spoke first. “Buck and I each have suites on this floor, as do some other friends of ours. We're right here at the end. There are also a couple empty suites just a little further down the corridor, they'll be stocked with whatever you need already, if you'd like. Peggy, would you like me to show you one?”

Peggy, a solid pal in any century, actually let go of her soulmate's hand and turned to Angie. “It's up to you, Angie, girl time, or would you like to be alone for a bit?” She helpfully left the “ _with your soulmate_ ” part unspoken. 

And Angie would be needing that girl time eventually, but from the way James had been looking at her for the past several minutes, she was pretty sure they needed to talk sooner, rather than later. So she plastered a smile on her face. “Nah, English, maybe later. I just need to rest a bit.” They exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then Peggy took Steve's hand again and asked him to show her how he'd decorated his suite.

Once they'd left the corridor, Angie turned to James. “It's adorable that they think we actually fell for that. But I don't know if I'm up to color commentary on your décor. Would you be willing to show me one of the empty suites?” As close to neutral ground as they were likely to get.

James smiled a little, just enough for Angie to tell that his full on smile would be a real knockout. “As you wish,” he said, and led her to the first empty suite. 

The door led to a living room with a kitchenette along one wall. Angie recognized the icebox and the stove, but there were several other appliances she'd have to guess at. All the furniture was new, and the whole place was clearly cleaned within an inch of it's life on a regular basis. There was a small dining set for four, some living room furniture in an open conversational grouping with a few more appliances, and the bedroom and bathroom doors both stood open to the right. It was several steps up from the rooming house, but much more – well, stark – than Howard's taste had run. These rooms were modern, sleek, and easy to clean; they were clearly rooms for guests. 

Which nearly led her mind down the terrifying path of what was going to happen tomorrow, and how long did she have before she would have to shift for herself somehow – but it seemed she at least had tonight. So she shoved those thoughts firmly to one side and turned to James and took a fortifying breath. “I can tell you have something to tell me, and that's fine. But I was imagining this conversation for a long time before I thought I'd lost you. Would you mind if I start?” 

James shook his head, but didn't say anything.

“I'm just so sorry. I wanted to say that first, I wanted to say it earlier, but not with all those people around. I know that what I did, keeping that secret, it wasn't just me that it hurt. I'm so sorry, James. I should have found a way, I should have been brave enough. But, after my father joined the Temptation League, my list of options just seemed to keep getting smaller. And then you enlisted, and I thought I'd find you after the war, and then the mark turned to gray,” and her voice finally gave out and she gave one dry sob before getting control again. “I'm just so sorry,” she finished, looking him in the eye – she could at least give him that much.

He was tilting his head again, though she didn't think he was trying to remember something this time. “I accept your apology, though I can't say I think you should have to for keeping yourself safe, which is what you did – and as your soulmate, I thank you for it. I,” and he seemed to switch tracks of thought, “there are things, two things, I need to tell you. Before we talk about anything else. But please don't ever think I don't want you to do whatever it takes to keep yourself safe. And normally I'd wait for the gorgeous dame to do this, but I'd feel ridiculous calling my soulmate Miss Martinelli – may I call you Angie?”

She quirked a grin and fought down the blush at being called gorgeous in such a roundabout manner. He'd have to fight harder for that. “Only if I can call you James.”

All of a sudden the look in his eyes had a very different quality. Just for a moment there was a flash of heat that made her catch her breath. “Doll, most people I'd turn that down, but the way you say it, you can call me James anytime you like.” And he gave her a once-over that made her feel warm all over. 

She waved her arm weakly behind her. “Well, if this is going to be a serious conversation, we may as well sit down.” They sat, he on one end of the couch and she in the nearby armchair.

“The first thing I need to tell you, is that what Dr. Xavier did, worked. I know they said my memories are spotty, but the truth is, they're all there, I just have trouble sorting through them sometimes. But I'm in full control of my own mind, those code phrases and commands Pepper talked about earlier, they're gone. I'd never hurt you, Angie, and I'd never let myself be near you if that were a possibility.”

The possibilities he hinted at hadn't fully settled in yet, but she nodded at him to go on.

“The other thing you need to know, is that HYDRA did something to me, that Pepper didn't mention earlier. I wanted to tell you myself.” And he told her about the fall from the train, and losing his arm, and HYDRA installing a prosthetic, upgraded every decade or so. Then he pulled his left hand out of his jacket pocket for the first time since they'd met, and showed her the metal fingers and palm, the rest of the arm obscured by his clothes. “I can feel pressure with it, but not a lot more. Tony's got some people looking into another upgrade, I was about due one and these things have a shelf life.”

After a moment's hesitation, Angie reached out to touch his left hand. It was slightly cool to the touch, and when he moved his fingers she could feel a slight vibration. She traced her fingers over the joints. “Does it hurt?” 

“I can only feel pressure with it, not pain.”

“No, I meant, where it's attached to your shoulder. Does the arm hurt you?”

He'd gotten – well, not that many questions about the arm, actually, most people didn't have the guts to ask, but the questions he had gotten tended to be memorable. (He had just barely not punched Tony in the nose for his.) No one's first question had ever been about his own comfort before. “No, it doesn't hurt. This one; the first couple they gave me ached some. They were heavier.”

Angie took his hand- his left hand. “Well, I'm glad this one doesn't hurt.” She paused a moment. “James, I'm glad you told me all this, I really am, especially because now you don't have to keep your hand in your pocket all the time,” they both almost smiled, “but it really has been an extraordinary day, and I'd like a chance to rest for a bit.”

“Of course.” They stood together, and James very gently squeezed her hand before letting go. “Just let Jarvis know when you're ready for people again, or he can tell you when dinner's ready. We often eat as a group if you want to join us.” She thanked him, and he left.

When the door had closed behind him completely, she gave herself a few seconds to think, staring at the door he'd just closed behind him.

Then she spoke, “Mr. Jarvis?”

“Ms. Martinelli, please feel free to call me Jarvis. Most residents of the Tower do.”

“Mr. Jarvis, I'm sure by now you know that I knew your namesake. And probably also that I only wound up benefiting from his professional skills through a series of bizarre and certainly unexpected circumstances on my part. I always insisted on calling him Mr. Jarvis, as a sign of respect. I hope you don't mind if I extend the same respect to you, especially given the similarity of the situation.”

“You are certainly welcome to do so, Ms. Martinelli, thank you.” Mechanical system or no, that voice had a warm, friendly tone to it for the first time.

“And – wait, what did you call me? Mizz?”

“The title Ms came into popular usage in the 1970s, as a result of a campaign for a feminine title that did not denote marital status.”

Angie smiled. “I think I like that. Thank you, Mr. Jarvis.”

“Of course, Ms. Martinelli. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

Angie walked to a window looking out on the city, to give herself time to think. “Mr. Jarvis, the questions I ask you – will anyone else know what they are?”

“I do have privacy protocols, Ms. Martinelli, if you would care to engage them. If you do, no one will know what we've talked about unless the protocols are overridden. The only person with the power to override the privacy protocol is Ms. Potts, and I am only allowed to allow her to do so if she has cause to believe that a crime is being committed or is about to be, or if someone's health or life is in danger.”

“Please engage the privacy protocols, Mr. Jarvis, thank you.” Jarvis affirmed the request, and Angie continued. “I take it that both James and Captain Rogers had to adjust to this time period, and that you had a hand in helping them both?”

“Indeed, Ms. Martinelli, it was my honor to do so.”

“Could you put together a list of the most urgent things I will need to know? I notice there's a lot of appliances in this apartment I'm not familiar with, and clearly language has changed. Just the items I'm most likely to need in the next couple days, I can catch up on more detailed history another time. Safety related issues as well. How long do you think that would take you?” Angie turned, and started walking into the bedroom.

“I have the list ready for you now, Ms. Martinelli. Sergeant Barnes requested a very similar list, early in his time here. The list would be about four printed pages, or I can display it for you on the screen across from the couch in the room you're standing in. I have adjusted it slightly to suit you more particularly.”

“Oh my, you are quick. I'm not quite ready for that yet, Mr. Jarvis, I would like to rest awhile. I'll take a look at it when I get up.” She sat on the bed, nudging off her shoes. “Could you wake me in about a half hour, Mr. Jarvis?”

“Certainly, Ms. Martinelli.”

Angie's head had just hit the pillow when she jerked back upright. “One more thing, Mr. Jarvis. I have extensive experience as a waitress and also had several small theater roles. I'm going to need a job soon and all that goes with it – a place to live and so on. Someplace affordable. Could you start looking into that for me?”

“Of course, Ms. Martinelli.” Angie said thank you, and drifted off to sleep more quickly than she'd expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't plan to detail every infinitesimal step of Angie's introduction to the contemporary world- so while she doesn't know about mutants, the real nature of Dr. Xavier's work with Bucky (who she and she alone calls James), or indeed the existence of the Avengers and so on, you won't necessarily see every one of those reveals. Same goes for "don't put metal in the microwave" and so on. The reasons she came up with those questions to ask Jarvis will be revealed eventually, though.


End file.
